5 Things Buyers Should Never Compromise On

Sure, compromise between the buyer
and seller is part of the game when getting to closing. But there are
some things buyers should never acquiesce—or they’ll likely regret their
home purchase. Realtor.com® recently asked real estate professionals to
weigh in on some of the top items their clients regret about the home
they bought.

1. The floor plan. It’s difficult and expensive to
reconfigure a home’s floor plan. Sarah Garza, MRP, a real estate pro
with Trident Homes Realty in Arnold, Md., suggests that if a home does
not fit your buyers’ minimum criteria in terms of number of rooms and
the flow of the main living areas, they should cross it off their list.
“You can change a layout to make it an open floor plan, but it’s a lot
more difficult to change the bedroom and bathroom count,” she says. “In
the long run, you could end up having a lot of problems and taking on a
really big financial undertaking.”

2. The school district. Even buyers who don’t have
children—but wish to one day—should carefully consider their
neighborhood’s school district. Encourage buyers to visit the school
district’s website to get a map of its exact boundaries. “Often, agents
will advertise a property as being near such-and-such school area but
not necessarily specify the district, which can be very confusing,” says
Tina Maraj, SFR, e-PRO, an agent with RE/MAX of North Orange County in
Fullerton, Calif. “It can be a real eye-opener if a buyer closes, and
they’re on one side of a main street that is the dividing line between
the top-rated and the lowest-rate high schools.”

3. The neighbors. Buyers should be cognizant of the
condition of neighboring homes, as it can affect their future resale
value. “You can’t change the house in front of you or to the side of
you,” Maraj warns. “And if there’s a barking dog every time you’re
viewing the property, that’s another thing that you absolutely cannot
change.”

4. The budget. Tell your clients to consider the
expenses beyond just the list price. For example, they’ll want to factor
in monthly mortgage payments, potential homeowner association dues,
utility costs, and real estate taxes. A lender’s pre-approval will tell
buyers how much house they can afford, but there other factors determine
whether they’ll be financially comfortable. “I try to do a lot of
pre-planning with clients about what they can really afford, as opposed
to what the bank tells you,” says Mike Kessler, a broker with TSG
Residential in Davidson, N.C. “You never want to be house poor.”

5. The commute. Buyers should make sure they are
comfortable with the time it takes to get to work. They should drive the
route between the home and their office at the time they’ll be
commuting. “Sometimes, buyers fall in love with all the shiny bells and
whistles of a house that’s an hour away from work,” Garza says. “I tell
them, ‘I know it doesn’t matter right now because you really love this
house, but that’s two hours every day that you’ll be sitting in the car
and not enjoying your house. Is that worth it to you?’”